Collingwood and Northcote Historical Societies; the history of local pubs

The Collingwood Historical Society now has a website. It is fairly minimalist for the time being, but no doubt it will grow. Their main event from the public’s point of view is the annual history walk, which I lamented missing last year. I discovered that there is an out of print book published by them, “Hotels of Collingwood”, which I must get a copy of: anyone want to lend me one? Though I must confess I still haven’t exactly read cover to cover J.M. Freeland’s The Australian Pub or Larkins and Muir’s Victorian Country Pubs or Griffin’s John Wren; A Life Reconsidered or Dr Kovesi’s book about the Abbotsford Convent’s Sisters of the Good Shepherd, Pitch Your Tents on Distant Shores.

Steve, The hotel on the corner of Wellington street and Johnston St Collingwood was previously called Healy’s (1870-1872), and then for most of its life if was called the Ivanhoe, ie from 1872 and until some time in the early 1990s when it changed its name to The Tote to celebrate John Wren’s tote which operated just east of Wellington street on the north side of Johnston St. There is a plaque on the building.

My mother, Adeleane Myrtle Pocknall was born in Rucker Street Northcote, on July 7th 1912. (She died in 1996) Her father was William Walter Pocknall and her mother Sarah Peters Pocknall. I would love to know which house in Rucker Street she was born in, there is no house number on her birth certificate. Can anyone help, please. I also have no idea if the family were renting or owned the house, which I realise doesn’t help!